


secrets, secrets

by onceuponanevilangel



Series: Cartinelli Week 2016 [6]
Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 15:57:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7720846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponanevilangel/pseuds/onceuponanevilangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Outward appearances aside, Angie doesn't easily volunteer information about her own childhood. Not that Peggy's in any position to pry, but secrets have a rather troublesome habit of making themselves known when they're least expected or wanted.</p><p>(belated) Cartinelli Week Day 5: childhood</p>
            </blockquote>





	secrets, secrets

**Author's Note:**

> This is very late and I have literally no excuse.

Peggy found it when she was unpacking the day after a mission. It was shoved far in the corner of the overhead shelf in the closet and Peggy would hardly have even noticed it if it hadn’t been for the fact that her suitcase caught on it and she knocked it to the floor in her struggle to get her suitcase back where it belonged.

It was just a small teddy bear, dark brown and worn with a little red ribbon tied around his neck. It was a child’s toy and Peggy had absolutely no idea why it had been sitting in her closet.

She picked it up and set it on the bureau before finishing her unpacking, putting her suitcase back on the bed, putting the little bear out of her mind.

Or at least, it was out of her mind until Angie came out of the en suite bathroom in nothing but a towel, her wet hair falling over her shoulders and her face positively glowing.

“You have no idea how much I missed this,” Angie said. She gathered the top of her towel in one hand wrapped the other loosely around Peggy’s waist. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Peggy’s cheek in a series of soft, smiling kisses. Peggy turned so that their lips could meet and her eyes slipped closed as she focused on the feeling of Angie’s body so close to her.

Oh yes, she had really missed this too.

Suddenly, though, she felt Angie stiffen and Peggy opened one eye and then the other to find Angie staring straight past her at the bear on the dresser.

“Darling, what’s wrong?”

Angie swallowed hard and gestured towards the dresser. “The bear,” she said. “Wh-where’d you find it?”

“It was just in the closet,” Peggy explained, stepping out of Angie’s embrace and fixing her with a look of concern. “It fell off the shelf when I was putting my case up. Is something wrong?”

Angie didn’t respond. She just made her way over to the dresser and picked up the bear before sitting down on the edge of the bed. She readjusted her towel and ran the pads of her fingers over the stuffed animal’s fuzzy arms. A single tear trembled on her lashes for a moment and then slipped slowly down her cheek.

“Angie, what’s wrong?” Peggy asked. She knelt down in front of Angie and placed her hands on Angie’s bare knees. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“This, um…” Angie paused and swallowed again. “This was my brother’s when he was little. He went off to the war in Japan and he asked me to, um…to keep it safe for him. He said he’d take it back when he came home, but then all that came back was a condolence letter.” She looked like she was going to say more but, she stopped herself. Her expression was vacant and far away and she turned the bear over and over in her hands.

“Oh, darling.” Peggy stood up and sat down on the bed next to Angie, wrapping one arm around Angie’s shoulders, rubbing softly up and down as Angie leaned into her. The tears kept rolling silently down her cheeks and her lips were trembling, but finally she just took a deep breath and set the bear down on her lap.

“It was a long time ago,” Angie said. “Nothing anyone can do about it anyway.” She sniffled and grabbed the top edge of her towel again. “I keep it around and it feels like I’m keepin’ him close. I don’t know why it hit me so hard, I just didn’t…”

“You don’t need to explain,” Peggy said. “You don’t need to do anything. I’m sorry I brought it out.”

“Nah, don’t apologize,” Angie replied, shaking her head. “You didn’t mean anything by it.” She sniffled again and leaned over to set the bear on the nightstand. She leaned it against the lamp so its black embroidered face was looking out at them both. “You know, I used to have one exactly like that except the ribbon was purple. My nonna made them for all of us when we were little. I was rough on mine though and I lost it when I was eleven.”

Peggy kissed the top of Angie’s head and wrapped her other arm around Angie’s torso. She didn’t know what to say. Despite Angie’s bright and bubbly demeanor and her tendency to overshare, it was rare that she freely volunteered too much information about her childhood. Suffice to say not all of it had been good, but Peggy wasn’t one to pry. She knew a thing or two about having secrets.

“I think I’m just gonna leave it there for a little while,” Angie said, nodding at the bear on the nightstand. “Do you mind?”

“Of course not, darling,” Peggy murmured. “I think it looks lovely there.”

Angie turned her head and met Peggy’s eyes. “Thanks,” she said, her lips twitching with the faintest hint of a watery smile. “I think I should probably get dressed.”

Peggy just nodded and stood up. “I’ll think I left some files in my office. I should probably go check.” She paused for a moment as though waiting for Angie to protest but Angie didn’t say anything at all, so Peggy just nodded to herself and turned to walk out into the hallway. She had a hunch that Angie would much rather have a little time to herself right now.

As if in confirmation, Peggy swore she could hear a tiny sob just before she eased the bedroom door shut behind her.


End file.
